Airplane



Sept. v1, 1925.

v J. A. ELDER AIRPLANE' Filed June 23- 1924 2 sheets-shea 1 Sept. 1, 1925.

J. A. ELDER AIRPLANE ,Filedune 25. 1924.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. l, 1925.

JAMES A. ELDER, OF DEMING, NEW MEXICO.

t AIRPLANE.

Application led J'une 23, 1924. Serial No. 721,788.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

`Be it known that I, JAMES citizen of the United States, residing at Deming, in the county of Luna and State of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Airplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to airplanes. An object of this invention is to provide an improved llanding gear and to provide an airplane that may alight on land or water and A. ELDER, a

y to provide a landing gear in which the airplane may alight on a rough and uneven surface and which is flexible at various points. A further object of this invention is to provide a landing gear of' a type which is adapted to carry the plane over muddy ground or soft sand with a minimum of resistance, whereby the plane may arise or alight in places heretofore thought impossible. A further object of this invention is to provide a landing gear which may be withdrawn and flexed in such a'manner as to provide a minimum of head resistance. A further object of this invention is to provide a'landing gear adapted .to land at higher velocities and one which is adapted to act as a superior shock absorber. With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction, the combination, the detailand arrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a side elevation mentary;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of Figure 1,;

Figure 3 is a bottom fragmentary of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of a modified form; l

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section of a further modification.

In the present embodiment of my invention, I provide a belt 2 carried by a plurality of wheels, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 3 and 9, the wheels being carried by an articulated member 10 comprising the sections 11 and 12 having adjacent ends pivotally connected, as at 13, said pivot 13 constituting 11 and a minor section 12, the flexing being pivotally at 13 on the axis of the wheel 4 and the section 12 being pivotally connected,

partly fragplan view partly as at 15, to a standard 14. A link 16 is piv-y otally mounted at 17 to va standard 18 and longitudinal pivotally engaging the section 11 at the axis the wheel 8. As shown in Figure 2, the fiexedor articulated bar 10 is in duplicate on each` side of the belt and is carried in pairs on each side of the fuselage of the airplane.

roll 20 yieldingly held against thebelt- 2 by a spring 21. The bar 11 carries pivotally mounted thereto on the axis of the wheel'6 a link 22 penetrating internally and carrying a helical spring 23, the spring 23 and link 22 being carried by a crank 24. the crank 24 pivotally mounted at 25 and provided with a'handle 26 and movable over an arcuate rack 27. Inoperation it will be observed that b v rearwardly moving the handle 26 upon its pivot that it will automatically cause the links 16 and 12 to be drawn upward toward the body of the plane and retract the landing gear into thedotted lines position shown in Figure 1. It will further be observed that upon striking the ground that the gear will tend to flex upon its pivot 13 against the yielding of the spring 23 and that owing to the several pivots involved that there will be a' yielding in various places and a combined uniform and easy cushioning efl'ect. In traveling along the ground it will be observed that an endless tread effect is had.

By reference to Figure 4 it will be seen that I may carry mounted to the side of the bars 11, a pairof floats 28 which floats may be of light metal or may be rubber bags Pivotally mounted to the section' 12 is a link 19 carrying a belt tightener` blown up and carried by light wires in the form of a frame or netting. In the specific means of mounting my shown in Figure 6, the bar 22 carrying the spring 23 is provided with a nut 29 and a sliding collar 30, which sliding collar 30 is carried by the arm 24, the collar 30 being normally held by a nut 31 whereby, on adjusting the tensionl of the nut 29, the tension of the spring 23 may be regulated.

iVhile I have disclosed certain specified and preferred forms of-invention, itis ob,- vious that my linvention is not limited thereto and thatother expedients may be used within the spirit and scope of this invention. Inter-connecting the lever 26 with a lever 32 is a flexible element 33, the lever 32 being ivotally mounted at 34 and ca-rrylng a grake shoe 35, adapted to engage the wheel 3, whereby, the brake may cooperate with the lever 26 in locking the movement of lthe landing spring as v stantially at the union of the forward link the spring and mounted on the lever.

' sections of the member 3. In combinatinn. an airplane, an endless tread landing gear. a link.\a lever, a spring carried by the link. the link engaging the landing gear and provided with a shoulder adapted to engage the spring, a collar carried by the link engaging the other end of 4. A landing gear for an airplane comprising an articulatedmember comprising two'pivotally connected sections. means for pivotally connecting one of said sections to the airplane. a link connected to the airplane and to the second section of the member, an endless tread member operatively engaged with the sections of the member.`

and means for swinging the member toward the airplane or in the opposite direction, the when in the second position being angularly related.

5. In combination with a fuselage of an airplane, an articulated member comprising two pivotally connected sections, means for pivotally connecting one of the sections to the fuselage, a link connected to the fuselage and to the second section, an endless tread member carried b v the sections of the member, and means yieldably engaged with the second section of the member for yieldingly supporting the same spaced from the' fuselage and in angular relation with the first section of the mem rs.

6. In combination with a fuselage of an airplane, an articulated member comprising two pivotally connected sections, means for pivotally connecting one of the sections to the fuselage, a link connected to the fuselage and to the second section, an endless tread member carried by ber, and means yieldably engaged with theY second section of the member for yieldingly' supporting the'same spaced from the fuselage and in angular relation with the first section of the member, said means being also operable to hold the member closely adjacent to the fuselage.

7. In combination with a fuselage of an airplane, an articulated member comprising fuselage, said sections the sections of the memtwo pivotally connected sections, means for pivotally connecting one of the sections to the fuselage, a link connected to the fuselage and to the second section, an endless tread member carried b the sections of the member, means yielda ly engaged with the second section of the member for yieldingly supporting the same spaced from the fuselage and in angular relation with the first section of the member. and means under control of said last named means for braking the tread member.

8. In combination with a fuselage of an airplane, a landing gear therefor com rising an articulated member consisting o two pivotally connected sections, means for pivotally connecting the sections of the member to the fuselage, means coactin with one of with to the fuselage. said second section being disposed forwardly of the fuselage.

10. In combination with a fuselage of an airplane, a landing gear therefor comprising an articulated member consisting of two pivotally connected sections, means for pivotally connecting one of the sections to the bein! disposed fuselage, a link operatively wardly of the second section of the member connecting the to the fuselage, and yieldable means carri by the fuselage and operatively with the second section of the member for swinging the member toward 'or from the fuselage.l

11. Inv combination with a fuselage of an airplane, a landing gear therefor comprising an articulated member consisting of two pivotally connected sections, means for pivotallv connecting one of the sections to the fuselage. said section being forwardly of the fuselage, a connecting the second section of the member to the fuselage, and yieldable means carri by the and operatively l L with the second section of the -memb'erffor swinging the member fuselage and to maintain either of two such positions.

In testimony whereof Id ix my signature.

JAMES A. ELDER.

4vmember in fuselage with the other sechnk operatively f toward. or from the lthc sections for yieldably hol ing the same for- 

